Today in the Solomon Island, the Chairman of the Livelihood Sector Committee of the National Disaster Operations Committee (N-DOC) Michael Ho’ota has thanked the Australian Government, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) for food supplies that will be distributed to identified families in the Honiara Emergency Zone during the lockdown.
The Committee (LSC) received the support yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Headquarter office in Honiara.
Australia’s assistance included 22,000 x 20kg bag rice, and 7,000 carton canned tuna while the PRC donated 1,000 x 20kg bag rice, 200 canned tuna (medium) and 100 canned tuna (baby Taiyo). The Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) gave 15 tonnes of rice (1,488 x 20kg rice) and also supplied six (6) containers for storage.
Mr. Michael Ho’ota said the LSC was pleased to have received the support which will be distributed by the LSC response team to those families within the Honiara Emergency Zone who may be in dire need of food supply during the four days lockdown from 6pm Tuesday 25th to 6:00 pm Saturday 29th 2022.
He said such generous support and collaboration in difficult times like this was overwhelming as it would help sustain the livelihoods of the people.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock (MAL) Ethel Frances also acknowledged the support provided by the Australian Government, the PRC and SIPA.
Business houses and Market Vendors will be distributed by the LSC response team to assist families during the lockdown.
She added the Livelihood response team will work through Ward Committees and Community committees with distributions to start on Friday 28th January 2022.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock as chair of the livelihood committee appeal to people to ensure they observe all Covid rules when distributing and collecting their food. There is enough food for everyone so please consider your neighbours when collecting food.”
Footnote.
The LSC of the National Disaster Operations Committee (N-DOC) is co-headed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Ministry of Fisheries and Honiara City Council together with other stakeholders and partners. The Committee is working closely with Honiara City Council on the food delivery mechanism.
Source: Press Release and Solomon Times Online.
TheLord Howe settlement in Central Honiara was the latest community in isolation within Honiara’s Emergency Zone to have received assistance of food supplies from the Livelihood Sector Committee (LSC) since the covid-19 community transmission outbreak was declared.
Food supplies/kits were delivered to 71 household with an estimated 519 individuals in the community (Lord Howe settlement) on Tuesday 25th January 2022. The supplies included:
• 38 bags of 18.14kg Solrais
• 8 bags of 18.14kg Island Sun Calrose rice
• 50 bags of 9.07kg Island Sun Calrose rice
• 36 cartons of White Flex Tuna (medium tins)
• 30 cartons of Maggie noodles; 25 cartons of beef noodles
• 30 cartons of Navy biscuits
• 9 bags of cassava (40kg each)
The committee also assisted MV Ortega crew and passengers on Monday 24th January 2022. Food kits and water delivered to MV Ortega, providing essential provisions for 85 crew and passengers of the ship
LSC also provided similar assistance of food supplies and water to crew on-board COVID-19 stricken vessel MV Awka which anchored in the Point Cruz Harbour on 23rd January 2022.
“Responses from the distribution team could be slow because we are working with careful consideration to Covid-19 protocols base upon advice by the Ministry of Health and Medical Service (MHMS),” Mr. Ho’ota clarified.
He said depending on the level of infections (community or household); the LSC response teams have to be dressed to adhere to safety procedures for the safety of the response team as well as the recipients and the general public.
Co-head by the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries the Committee (LSC) is working closely with Honiara City Council (HCC) on the food delivery mechanism to ensure food relief assistance is delivered to those families within the Honiara Emergency Zone who may be in dire need of food during the four days lockdown.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ho’ota on behalf of the government acknowledged the assistance provided by donor partners, business houses in Honiara, the Market Vendors Association and individuals who have step in with food assistance and logistical support over the past days to compliment the Committee’s preparation for the lockdown.
Source: Press Release and Solomon Times Online.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Health Minister said a total of 1,790 COVID-19 tests had been conducted since the Covid outbreak last week.
The Minister of Health and Medical services Dr Culwick Togamana said his Ministry would start conducting mass testing of the general population in Honiara.
“The Ministry will start COVID 19 mass testing and will start going to communities to test you and advise you to self-isolate.
“We will start with high- risk zones. If you see more numbers of cases of cough and fever being reported from your communities, isolate yourself and inform 115 or 25256 and we will prioritize testing in your communities,” the Health Minister had said.
“Do not panic we are all in this together and we must face this current situation together. Protect yourself stay at home, do not go out, vaccination teams will come to you so please get vaccinated.”
He advised the public to stop spreading rumours and to only pass on information or messages that was from the Ministry of Health and credible partners such as UNICEF and WHO.
The Health Minister said a total of 1,790 COVID-19 tests had been conducted since the Covid outbreak last week, and he expected the test numbers to rise as more samples came in from contact tracing.
Source. MHMS.
The news carried by Radio New Zealand this morning, Thursday, contained some grim predictions concerning ‘modeling’ predictions regarding Omicron infections that New Zealand might face in the next two months.
I quote the details.
New Zealand could be facing 50,000 daily Omicron infections by Waitangi weekend, according to modelling by a highly-respected, overseas health research organisation, peaking at about 80,000 each day just a few weeks later.
There are also warnings this country's ICU capacity will come under "extreme stress" through February and March.
These are of course predictions and should be viewed as such, however they have been experts including University of Otago professors Nick Wilson and Michael Baker: "Our impression is that this work is of high quality and should be considered by NZ policy-makers ... [it's] an organisation with a very strong track record for analysing health data (with some of the best epidemiologists, health data scientists and computer scientists in the world)."
IHMEs modelling with the "most likely" scenarios are based on vaccinations carrying on at the expected pace, mask use staying about the same, and 80 percent of those already vaccinated getting a booster within six months - the numbers do drop if 100 percent get their booster and then again with 80 percent of people using masks whenever they're out in public.
Under the 'most likely' scenario, daily infections start to rapidly take off almost immediately: by 1 February at just over 13,000, by the 9th hitting about 62,000, and peaking in mid February at over 81,000.
The numbers drop slightly if everyone gets their booster shot, but there's a significant difference when 80 percent of people are wearing masks.
These are the two public health controls taken into account, so the modelling doesn't include other measures in place, for example, under New Zealand's red setting; the different responses around the world vary considerably and compliance would be difficult to accurately gauge.
After peaking in mid-February, infections are projected to fall back to around 50,000 by the first week of March, then tailing off through the rest of that month and April.
The government has been preparing for up to 50,000 cases a day and this week unveiled the "three phase" response, under which testing, contact tracing and isolation requirements will change once cases start to rapidly increase.
There was much political debate late last year about ICU capacity and these latest figures should sound the alarm.
In the face of criticism the government had failed to increase the number of fully resourced ICU beds, Health Minister Andrew Little said there were 289 ICU or High Dependency Unit beds available, insisting that could be increased to up to 550 under surge capacity if needed.
That was strongly challenged by clinicians and ICU experts who said the extra capacity was more like 67 - totalling 356 - mainly due to an acute shortage of highly skilled ICU nurses
At the peak of the outbreak, in early March, the modelling estimates 458 ICU beds could be needed, and occupancy could come under "extreme stress" for a number of weeks.
Experts from the University of Otago summarised and analysed the findings, saying the government should take heed and consider police settings accordingly.
They noted socio-economic status and ethnicity were not taken into account, so the modelling wouldn't highlight potentially disproportionate impacts on M?ori, New Zealand specific data is incomplete, if Delta cases start emerging again and we end up with a 'dual variant' outbreak the numbers could be worse, and ICU capacity - outlined in classified Across Government Situation Report leaked to M?ori Television- may be underestimated so the predicted pressure on the healthcare system may be even greater.
The authors also draw attention to the "high uncertainty" in the data, for example "the number of cases in hospital might peak at 2790 in early March 2022 ... but the 95 percent confidence interval around this 2790 figure is large at: 120 to 9,070".
"As well as considering the strengths and weaknesses of this IHME modelling, policy-makers will need to consider the potential social and economic disruption from an Omicron outbreak," they conclude.
They also call for a stronger approach at the border, as a key area of vulnerability.
"The NZ government is obviously taking this threat seriously with a recent suspension of future places in MIQ. However, this change will not have an impact on arriving cases until March 2022.
"Therefore, substantially reducing the risk now will probably require a rapid and marked reduction of incoming international flights from some countries (i.e., until their outbreaks subside in coming weeks)."
Baker also says the phased opening of the border, due at the end of February, should be pushed out, and the time between the second vaccine dose and booster reduced from four to three months.
End of quote.
Source. Radio New Zealand.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
